Chato's Kitchen

Chato’s Kitchen.  Gary Soto. Illus by Susan Guevara. New York: The Putnam and Grosset Group, 1997. Unpaged. $6.99 (Paperback). Grades K-2. English with some Spanish

Chato’s Kitchen. Gary Soto. Weston Woods, 2002. 9 minutes 57 seconds. $18.95 (Book and Audio CD). Grades K-2. English with some Spanish

Chato is the coolest low-riding, food loving cat in his East Los Angeles barrio. He thinks he is in luck when he sees his next meal, a family of five mice, move in next door. After he initially frightens his new neighbors he cleverly invites them over for a dinner party. Chato realizes the joke is on him when the ratoncitos bring Chroizo, their own low-riding dog friend along. Chato’s Kitchen is a funny, detailed, and culturally rich story that portrays life in the barrio in a fun, yet realistic way. Cheech Marin does an excellent job narrating the text, giving each of Gary Soto’s award winning characters an authentic, colorful and attention-getting voice. Susan Guevara’s bright, intricate images give the flowing text even more life, and will have readers thoroughly engaged. This audio kit is a great addition to any collection. Highly Recommended